Sterling Vigil Attendees Relate Their Sadness, And Anger

STERLING, Colo. (CBS4) – Friends and family gathered for a vigil in Sterling Thursday to remember a child whose remains were found last weekend.

The body of Caleb Pacheco, who would have been 3, was found wrapped in blankets and plastic under a mobile home. He had been missing for a year.

The case has brought a mixture of sadness and anger to the northeastern Colorado town.

Some people there told CBS4 they were concerned that reports about Pacheco’s safety weren’t taken seriously enough by authorities. Pacheco had been in the care of his mother, Juanita Kinzie, and some say Social Services should have been more aggressive in taking custody away from

An aunt says she was caring for the boy a little over a year ago and when his mother demanded him back she says Social Services took the mother’s side despite concerns.

“The system messed up,” one attendee at the vigil said.

Liz McDonough, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Human Services, said the state has launched a “child fatality review” to look into what happened.